Cityscape

Her eyes batted at the cityscape out the bus window. It seduced her so daintily, that she fell into its lush features as if it were a real man: with strong arms and a nice face. Oh, its voice chuckled at her as she swooned over its pretty lights and sounds. It's tall buildings towered over her frail and humble body, she felt so safe within it's limits and borders. And the windows of the buildings bore into her soul and told stories that she never knew. Yet they would always, always captivated her. The sweet and delicious smells of the restaurants, the whispers of the people just beyond her reach made her thirsty, begging to dear god for anything to quench her parched being. Her heart was pounding so furiously like a damned drum, she just needed more of this alluring setting. Just the city itself wasn't enough. Just the scene behind the glass was not enough to keep her heart at a blissful rest, no! In this city there was something more for her, she knew it and she needed it! She needed to explore and find and see! It was as if her very existence depended on it. Yet there was nothing she could do. She was told to not get off this bus until she reached her destination, then and only then could she breathe in the fumes that were so harmful to her young lungs. She sighed, so desperately wanting to leave this constraining seat that kept her away from her one true love!

“Miss, I couldn't help but notice you look a little perturbed. May I ask why?” spoke a person with a husky voice. Her eyes drifted from the window for a quick moment to see who dare disturb and speak with her. Before her was a young man, a tad older then herself, with a long nose and a rough chin: who in hindsight just wasn't as fortunate as her it seemed. So inwardly she scoffed at him, he wasn't even beautiful yet he dare bother her with useless questions.

“You may not.” She sniffled feeling almost lachrymose enough to begin producing tears. But said boy just shrugged at her and sat next to her nonetheless. She scowled at him, and went back to longing for her beauteous city. Her body felt tense with the man sitting next to her, and now more then ever she really just wanted to get to her destination and take in all her surroundings. A solid minute passed as they sat in silence together.

“Are you sure you're alright?” He asked suddenly, half scaring the life out of her. Which was followed by an eruption of giggles from the backseat, uncannily in cue with her little jump. She knew that they couldn't be laughing at her but at the same time the self conscious little girl inside said otherwise. The grimace on her face attacked the man at full force. He put his hands up in apology but didn't back down from talking to her. “Sorry, didn't mean to scare you m'am.” The girl scoffed at him once again.

“One, I didn't get scared, I was startled! And Two, don't call me m'am, I'm still under thirty if you didn't notice, around the same age as you probably. And finally I was just fine before you came bothering me. So there!” She turned away from him, hoping this would get him to move from the seat; she had no patience for the man anymore.

“You know if you want to get off the bus you can.” He murmured at her after a long moment of silence. Her ears perked up as he spoke those golden words. How did he know what she longed for? She writhed inside. Oh, how attractive those words were in her mind. Yet, they were so far fetched, so out of her reach it made her heart burst into anger.

“Leave me alone!” she growled at him. Yet he didn't even look bothered, instead he looked amused and spoke to her once again.

“You know, There’s a plane leaving for anywhere you want right now, and in an hour, and in a day, and in a year. You can get out whenever you want, it’s comforting I think.” She looked over to him bemused at his little raving.

“What do planes have to do with this?” She grumbled in puzzlement.

“Nothing. But your feet can move just like a plane can move. In that moment, whether you decide to move or not, your life will change and something will come of that decision. Whether it be something great or not. So when you're ready to get out, just stop everything and go.” He muttered back. A resounding feeling washed over her, it over powered her previous thoughts and feelings and opened a door in her heart which was welded shut. She didn't know how to respond, how could she counter such true words. Her silence sang over the rest of the bus noise, meanwhile the bus itself came to a complete halt. And at that very moment she felt as if time quickened to rapid speeds; the world began pressuring her to make a decision, and there was no waiting. She felt powerless, restrained by morals yet pushed by desire. Who could she listen to?

“You coming?” The boy spoke as he lifted himself from the seat. She looked up to him, who was he and what would happen if she went with him? Her eyes tried to search his for an ounce of something she could find familiar but there was nothing, not even a sparkle.

“No, I am not.” She whispered to him and as the bus emptied out he left among the crowd of people. Her heart rate slowed and her eyes once again trailed out the window and onto the street. She watched as the boy trekked down the sidewalk into the rest of his life. And as she watched she wondered, what would've happened if she just went along with him? What would she of seen? Who would have she become? How would her life have changed: for the better or the worse? Where would she go? What would of become of her life? On these streets is there truly something out there for her?

Those thoughts bogged her mind until she realized, the bus stopped again. But this time, without a second thought, she burst out of the metal prison and took off down the street running for her very life.

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